I wander back up to my room, pulling out an old duffel bag from under my bed, wondering what to pack. What would I even need? I mean, apart from boxers, a few clean shirts and maybe another pair of jeans. Not much, I guess. As much as I'd love to take my music studio with me, that'll just have to wait.

Of course, just as I'm pulling my wardrobe apart, trying to decide what to take with me, my mom comes up to see how I'm doing.

She looks from me, standing by the wardrobe with a shirt in my hands, to the bag and back again, a look of poorly hidden concern on her face.

"Where you going, honey?"

"Just gonna stay at Kyle's for a while," I shrug, "that's okay, right?"

"Campbell did say you should probably stay at home..." she says doubtfully.

"It'll be like my second home."

"He also said that I should be the one looking after you," she adds bluntly, clearly not impressed with the situation.

Oh yeah, and she probably knows I'm lying. Kinda. I mean, if me and Kyle rent a place together wherever it is we're going, then I'm hardly lying, I just happen to mean ‘Kyle's place in another state', rather than ‘Kyle's place just down the road'. She has a look through what I've packed, and there's hardly anything I can do to stop her.

"It looks more like you're trying to run away than stay at Kyle's for a few days, honey," she gives a kind of forced laugh, and looks at me, all serious like. "You're not going anywhere, Damien. Just put the clothes away and I'll let it slide." I don't say anything, keeping my face as blank as possible. I throw the shirt back in the wardrobe and sit down on the bed. Mom's eyes follow me as I lean back on the wall, pulling out my phone, pretending like I just got a text.

"Hide your stuff somewhere, mom thinks i'm running away" I send to Kyle. I just have to hope that he gets that before he comes up to get me. I tune out of her telling me off, and rambling about sending me back to my therapist for the millionth time. There's a knock on the door, but she ignores it, finishing to the end of her rant before turning to go, still talking at me.

"I mean it, Damien," she says, hovering in my doorway and glancing back at me, "if you so much as set a toe out of town, you're going straight back to Campbell. I don't care if it's to see friends - they're no good for you." With that, she goes downstairs and lets Kyle in. He comes up and I hear mom move into the kitchen. I look up as he comes in, glad he hasn't got his stuff with him. He comes over and cuddles with me.

"What did she say?" he asks as I cuddle back.

"I dunno, I wasn't really listening. The usual ‘don't leave town or you'll be spending another week in hospital with Campbell' kinda crap."

"We don't have to go, y'know," he tells me.

"You say that like I want to stay." He hums and I put my head on his shoulder, wondering how I'd be able to get away from here unnoticed. I guess all I have to do is persuade her I'm actually going to Kyle's and leave that way, though mom would probably want to come over and see how I'm doing. He plays with my hair and I have to do my best not to go all sleepy and cuddly on him. "I already said I was packing to stay at yours for a while, so I guess that's the excuse I'll be using... what about your parents? What d'you say to them?"

"Three week study trip," he says with a small smirk. I chuckle. I could've used something like that, but given my attendance and general attitude towards school, I figure staying at Kyle's was the most workable story. I smiles and I look over at my bag, thinking I should probably finish packing now. Kyle nods, silently agreeing with me, and lies down. Lazy bastard. I get up and shove a couple more shirts in, wondering what else I'm gonna need. I feel Kyle's eyes on me as he watches me dithering.

"You suck at this." Yeah, thanks.

"Sorry. Never uhh... stayed at someone's place for longer than a couple nights," I say, hearing mom coming up the stairs. He tuts and packs for me. I sort of watch him, but I'm more interested in mom deliberately doing upstairs chores just because she's all suspicious. She knocks on the door and sticks her head in.

"You boys want anything?" she asks in an almost falsely cheery voice. I know that tone. She's desperate to get Kyle away from me so she can threaten him.

"Just my methadone," I tell her. Actually, that's a point. What am I gonna do when it runs out? Guess I'll come to that one when I have to.

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